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Immune to science

One of the things that bemuses me (and there are many) is the proliferation of pills and potions that claim to "boost", "enhance" or "support" the immune system.

How are these things supposed to work? Does extract of mugglewort magically fill your lymph nodes with new varieties of memory B cells? Does organic fartnettle somehow make your respiratory tract impervious to viruses?

(And what's up with people who want to boost your "auto-immune system"? Even if such a thing existed, I doubt very much that you'd want to boost it.)

Dr Ken Harvey, of La Trobe University's School of Public Health, is unimpressed by the claims of "immune-boosting" products.

"There are hundreds of products claiming to be 'immune boosting' on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and the shelves of chemist and health food shops," he says. "Most of them contain a mix of vitamins, minerals and various herbs such as echinacea, astragalus and garlic.

"Most people do not understand that the claims made for these products are not checked by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. And there is no good evidence that any of the ingredients used in these preparations can do what is claimed.

"Regrettably, many people are taken in by the names (of the products) and the claims made. It is a seductive thought that by taking a pill you can prevent an ill."

The good news is that we don't actually need such products. The vast majority of us have perfectly robust immune systems, and the notion that having a busy, modern lifestyle can compromise the immune system is greatly overblown.

"Severe malnutrition leads to immune deficiency and the lack of certain minerals and vitamins can compromise the immune system," Dr Harvey says. "However, if people follow the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating they can be confident that their immune system and other health parameters will be as good as possible.

"In addition, we know that vitamin and mineral supplementation (from pills) is not the same as obtaining them from fruits, vegetables and other recommended food groups. A good diet is the key to good health."

Dr Harvey says there are some common misconceptions about the immune system, such as the notion that if you have a good immune system you'll never get sick.

"Even the best immune system is no defence against life-threatening microorganisms that you have not encountered before, such as those that cause tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough," he says. "Hence the need for immunisation against these and other pathogens.

"While it is good that people take responsibility for their own health, their actions should be based on science, not alt-med pseudoscience that disparages conventional immunisation, promotes dangerous practices such as homeopathic immunisation instead and encourages the use of complementary medicines that lack an evidence base.

What do you think? Do you swear by "immune boosting products"? How do you know that they're working? What do you think they actually do? Or have you been sceptical of such products but decided to give them a go anyway?

140 comments so far

I wouldn't waste my money and it boggles my mind that people spend so much on supplements.

Very few people in Australia would be genuinely vitamin or mineral deficient. If circumstances are such that you think you have a deficiency then go see a doctor for blood tests before wasting money at the vitamin barn. Although it would be difficult to do with a few multi vitamins it is possible to OD on some vitamins and minerals, just because it's "natural" does not mean you can have as much as you like.

The only time I've taken supplements is when I've been iron or B12 deficient, as diagnosed by my doctor after a blood test; in this case I was treated with a course of injections. My doctor does not advise taking supplements between appointments, she prefers that I try to keep these minerals up via diet and I see her every quarter for blood tests to keep an eye on things.

Commenter

Em

Date and time

March 10, 2011, 7:33AM

What makes it even harder is the "professional" pharmacists who push this stuff. I've had pharmacists refuse to sell me sudafed, under this ridiculous idea that because i look like i have a cold i must be a junky - suit, neat hair, laptop bag, but the stuffy nose is a sure sign that I'm a junky looking to cook up some meth! So instead they tried to push echinacea supplements on me. I told her if she could produce one peer reviewed report that showed it worked i'd buy it... Queue the talking down at my like I'm an idiot - "I'm a professional pharmacist and I can tell you we've had good reports from customers". Oh... kay.

(Note: this story is from a few years back, when you just needed to show photo ID to get sudafed)

Not to disparage on the industry as a whole, but my experiences have been poor at them pushing quack supplements at me, even when I've got a prescription... And don't get my wife started - she's a militant dietician...

Commenter

zebba

Date and time

March 10, 2011, 7:36AM

Well, Dr Harvey isn't much better if he recommends following the The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. These guidelines recommend people eat meat and dairy to be healthy! That would lead us to conclude that not eating them would be unhealthy, despite the reams of evidence to the contrary. I'm guessing this is because the guidelines haven't been updated since 2003, when Howard was still alive and we were all living in the 1950s. But 21st century data tells us no human will be unhealthy without them, provided they follow the other more relevant suggestions.

As for immune boosting, there is evidence that chronic stress has negative influences on the immune system: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361287/

Vitamin D has a role in the immune system due to its influence on the synthesis of calcitrol: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14678241. Hence any food or supplement which boosts the hormonal form of vitamin D3 will also influence calcitrol levels. Since we are not all created equal, some of us may need more help than others in certain areas of immune system function.

Commenter

adam ansell

Location

melbourne

Date and time

March 10, 2011, 8:01AM

@zebba

I'm in a very similar position to you - I've had a pharmacist try and push a herbal anti-snoring pill on me - prior to discovering I had obstructive sleep apnoea. I'm sure the tiny quantity of whatever exotic herb diluted into a massive quantity of water would really help with my tongue blocking my airway as I sleep.

And also, my militant dietitian girlfriend would want to do something particularly militant to you for daring to spell dietitian "dietician".

Commenter

The Rationalist

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

March 10, 2011, 9:39AM

Speaking as someone who had a lengthy bout of chemotheraphy for leukaemia with the resultant lack of immunity and trying this stuff (basically to shut up family members) , I wish they did work! Best I can say is that it did no harm.

Although the garlic does have some efficacy - I didn't see a single vampire after I started taking it.

Commenter

Anthony

Location

Victoria

Date and time

March 10, 2011, 9:55AM

Pharmacists drive me up the wall as well. I can't understand how they can justify to themselves selling power bands and ear candles and homeopathy and all the rest of it. When you ask them about it they admit that they don't believe in it themselves. They fall back on the apparent fact that there's a demand for it but when I point out that there's also a demand for cigarettes and crystal meth they say I'm being silly. They always try to frame things in terms of giving customers a "choice", but an uninformed choice is merely an illusion of choice.

Speaking of which, Choice magazine is also having a go at pharmacists at the moment:

I used to have immense respect for pharmacists, but now not so much. Taking people's money for products that you know do not and cannot work is pretty low. I'm sure there are pharmacists who don't do that, but they don't seen to be in charge of selecting inventory for their bosses' shops. I'm still searching for a pharmacy that doesn't stock shelves upon shelves of homeopathy.

Any pharmacists out there want to weigh in?

Commenter

Brad Newsome

Date and time

March 10, 2011, 10:00AM

adam ansell | melbourne - March 10, 2011, 9:01AM

Yes, and if we all become self-medicating, and listen to our spirit guides, sleep soundly under our dream-catchers, whilst breathing in the soothing smoke from our fragrance oil burner, listening to the peaceful tones of our whales and dolphins CD, reposed on our magnet-filled, organic, eiderdown laying on a bed with its metal coils removed so that we aren't zapped by captured electromagnetic radiation, fondling our chakra pendant, and absorbing the positive energy being passed to us from the crystals glued to our forehead, whilst being lulled by the sacred rocks balanced on our belly...we will all be FAR better off.

Dead from an illness easily-treatable by modern medicine at an early age, but better off nonetheless.

Commenter

Colin

Location

Sydney

Date and time

March 10, 2011, 10:01AM

Yet we hear of science saying that eating fibre boosts the immune system?

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